Dear LFTP: christening versus the ballgame
- How should I respond to my sister skipping the christening to go to a ballgame?
A Dear LFTP letter: a writer's oldest daughter had her first child and sent christening invitations a month early; the youngest daughter (two kids, not named godparent) declined to attend a ballgame with her family. The hosts find missing backstory: the age/life-stage gap between the sisters, the pointed mention that the youngest wasn't named godparent, and that invitations aren't ultimatums. They caution against over-cranking, holding nearby relatives to stricter account than far ones, and letting disappointment taint the day; for some families a christening is a huge event, for others the sister may have walked from the faith — either way both sides need grace. The Secular answer guilt-trips the younger sister, and the hosts push back on its over-cranking.
More on Boundaries
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Dear LFTP: the mother-in-law moved in
- My mother-in-law moved in seven months ago and it’s been difficult — how can we sort this out?
The last letter comes from a wife whose mother-in-law moved in seven months ago with no boundaries, rising bills, unpaid prescriptions, and open disrespect.
From No. 604 · Rearview Mirror
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Dear LFTP: Ralph calls three or four times a week
- How can I get my retired friend Ralph to call less frequently without being rude?
The letter: 'Ralph,' a longtime best friend, retired and is bored, so he calls three or four times a week 'even when there's nothing new to talk about,' rehashing the same things; subtle hints haven't worked; letting it go to voicemail just earns a callback request.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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Dear LFTP: the senior-living handshake letter, and the close
- How can a senior-living resident politely decline the dining-room manager's handshakes?
Mike reads the second Dear LFTP letter: a senior-living resident whose dining-room manager (Manny) shakes hands at residents' tables, and who dodges with wet or greasy hands — how to decline politely?
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Dear LFTP: the fiance who games until 5AM
- What should the letter-writer do about her fiance's all-night gaming habit?
Mike reads a Dear LFTP letter from a woman engaged five years to Dustin, who games from 10PM to 5AM, skips chores, and gives her no attention; talking has not helped since 'he grew up gaming.'
From No. 598 · Emphasis | Accountability, Worship and Praying with Strangers